A Peek Inside One Of Louisville’s Premier Parties

I caught up with Lisa Resnik, the Speed Museum’s Chief Operating Officer, to find out about the Speed’s upcoming 100/100 event, which marks the temporary closing and the new future of the museum.

Lori Kommor: To mark the temporary closing of the Speed Museum, due to its major renovation project, you will be hosting a 100/100 event. Can you tell us about the event?

Lisa Resnik: 100/100 is the annual event of the Museum’s Patron Circle, a membership group of dynamic arts advocates. In just a few short years, the event has quickly become one of the not-to-be-missed parties of the year for Louisville. Though we have been trying to keep some of the details a surprise for guests, I can tell you that this year’s event will be no exception.

LK: With the closing of the museum, what should the Patron Circle members expect in the upcoming years?

LR: As the expansion project begins, we will continue to hold the typical number of Patron Circle events throughout the community. The beauty of the Patron Circle is that many of our events occur outside the Museum’s walls. We will continue to hold an average of 10 events per year for Patron Circle members, including home tours, family and child programming and educational lectures by leading arts professionals.

LK: Without giving too much away about the 100/100 event, what is planned for the entertainment for the party?

LR: We are very excited to be bringing in Jaleel Bunton from the band TV on the Radio to DJ the party. As with previous 100/100 events, art is the centerpiece of the evening. In addition to a video installation in the Sculpture Court by Ryan Daly, we are also bringing in a Louisville artist Braylyn Stewart to create a visual art installation especially for 100/100.

LK: What does 100/100 mean?

LR: This event began in 2009 and was originally called 100 Paintings/100 Parties, referring to the 100 different dinner venues hosted by Patron Circle members. These hosts were able to select an image to highlight at their party, thus referring to the 100 Paintings. The evening would then culminate with an afterparty held at the Speed. Because the event is being held in conjunction of the expansion kickoff festivities, we have chosen to hold the event entirely at the Museum for this year only and to shorten the name to 100/100

LK: How does the Speed Museum plan to maintain the enthusiasm of its members during this shut-down period?

LR: Although our building will be closed to the public, we are dedicated to a continued program of events in the community throughout the construction period. The staff has been working diligently to coordinate and collaborate with local organizations to hold enriching and engaging events in various locations throughout the region. Many of our events will take place at the Frazier History Museum, and so it will become the Speed’s “home away from home” over the next few years where we will be holding artist lectures, art exhibitions and more. We are also working with other organizations in town to plan events and programs. This major effort to bring the Speed to the community is called ‘Speed About Town;’ we will kick off this community-wide effort on Sept. 30 with a performance by Stephanie Blythe at the UofL School of Music.

There will also be a number of opportunities to visit the Museum’s collection in the Commonwealth, including Rembrandt, Rubens and the Golden Age of European Painting from the Speed Art Museum which will be on view next summer at the Art Museum at the University of Kentucky.

LK: How was The Voice-Tribune chosen to be the exclusive media sponsor?

LR: The Voice-Tribune has been a longtime supporter of the arts in Louisville, building awareness in the community through guest editorials, news stories and their events calendars. Giving a voice to a cultural entity is so important for the success of an organization such as the Speed. To partner with The Voice as a media sponsor was a natural fit!

About the Author

Kentuckiana is the place to look great, feel great and do great things, and Lori Kommor is the authority on doing all of them. Every week, The Voice-Tribune’s style editor tells us all about the hottest trends and the best places to find them, and her Conversations introduce us to the people and organizations in Louisville doing big things and helping others in need.